Prior art systems for steering smaller marine boats, in the main, employ steering wheels, gearing, push-pull cables, and combinations thereof. The disadvantages of gear mechanisms and push-pull cables in marine boat steering systems are discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,173,937 to Kulischenko et al. The present invention employs no gearing or push-pull cables, and even eliminates the steering wheel required in the aforementioned patent, and additionally provides a compact integral unit which may be conveniently mounted between the two front seats enabling either occupant to readily steer the vessel, or at either side of the boat.
Either fisherman steering the vessel should have ample room to manipulate his fishing gear without being impeded by a protruding steering wheel, as in the prior art. Further, the vessel can be steered with the knee or foot when the fisherman's hands are preoccupied, and yet the vessel will maintain a steady course when the steering control mechanism is left unattended.
The present invention provides a flexible shaft stick control remote steering unit requiring no gears or push-pull cables. The stick may be mounted between the front seats enabling steering by either occupant or at the side of the boat. The stick may be moved 90.degree. from vertical, either forward or backward, or from side to side, to steer the vessel full left or full right, by means of a flexible shaft, pulleys, timing belts and a ball screw cylinder, or the like. Additionally, the steering control unit stick is readily removable from the vessel to deter its theft.